


Eighteen Stitches

by Angelicat2



Series: Sheith Month 2019 [14]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blood and Injury, Cat Keith (Voltron), Day 17-eighteen, Dog shiro, Human Coran (Voltron), Hurt Keith (Voltron), Pretty much everyone is an animal, Sheith Month 2019, Supportive Coran (Voltron), Worried Shiro (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 10:42:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19810615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelicat2/pseuds/Angelicat2
Summary: Shiro is a dog who lives in the Voltron Pet Sanctuary. While out having fun, he comes across a seriously injured cat who needs his help. He forms a deep friendship with said cat as time goes on.





	Eighteen Stitches

**Author's Note:**

> Some cat Keith and dog Shiro here! :)
> 
> Enjoy!

Shiro glanced over at the others. Each were doing their own things. Lance was taking a long nap by the dog shed. Pidge was curled up beside him, the parrot ruffling a feather or two as her older brother, a brown parrot, plopped onto her with a loud sigh. On the dog's other side was Hunk, a big fluffy chocolate brown bunny along with a yellowish rabbit named Romelle. Allura sat on top of Lance, curled up and gently licking her paw before bathing herself, cleaning her white fur just like any cat Shiro had ever seen, graceful and poised. 

Shiro himself was going to roam. The Voltron Pet Sanctuary had a lot of open space for them to run around. It went on for a few miles, large enough to include a few patches of forest and some dirt spots, along with a small river. Shiro loved racing around, feeling the wind blow in his face. Even with one arm missing, he was one of the faster creatures in the sanctuary. 

Rushing through the yard, the black and white furry lab ran over the grass. About half a mile in, he ran into the tiny sand dunes but kept going. A full mile past that, a river bled into the sand, some grass growing nearby. Shiro paused to get a cool drink of fresh water. Lapping up the liquid, he splashed through it, swimming in the middle area before reaching the bank. Shaking himself off, Shiro couldn't hold back a sneeze.

The water was colder than it had looked. Good thing it was a warm summer day. He'd be dry in no time. 

Nosing around the dirt, Shiro started to dig into it. He could swear that he buried a bone around here somewhere. It had been a big, delicious one that the owner of the sanctuary, Coran, had given him one day. Shiro knew he hid it somewhere around here. He continued to search, pawing at the dirt. Not finding it, he huffed before laying down. 

Where had he stashed it!

Was he getting old enough that he didn't remember where he put it? He really thought he had put it here. Growling with annoyance, the dog pushed himself to his paws before sniffing around. 

Left...no…

Right...no…

Back…

Nothing…

Front…

Pausing, Shiro glanced around. No one in sight, trees in the distance, fence line just past that, a thick wooden one. This had to be the place. Sighing in his head, he dug into the ground, hitting something hard after a moment. Grinning, he grabbed it up before munching on it. It was his bone. A big fat bone, stained yellow from the crispy meat that used to be stuck to it. Some dirt was caked on it, but Shiro didn’t care about that as he gnawed on it.

Crunching on the edge, he stopped when he saw a shape in the distance. It was a minuscule black dot, moving painstakingly slow. Shiro tilted his head, thinking it could be one of the turtles on the place. There were a few who could be out and about like Zarkon and his mate, Honerva. About to dig back into his bone, he stiffened when the wind shifted towards him from that direction. The sick metallic scent of blood lit up the air, clogging his nose. Shiro nearly whimpered at the smell before he dropped the bone without a care. Someone needed his help.

Running to the mystery animal was easy. As he got closer, he could see that whatever it was had to practically be dragging itself. The creature swayed and staggered every other step like it's head was spinning in endless circles. Even with less distance between them, Shiro could tell the animal was tiny, no bigger than his head in total. 

Just as he thought that, the other collapsed on its left side, going down with a broken wail. Shiro moved closer, inspecting it carefully as the animal panted and kicked out a leg.

It was a cat. A tiny black cat that looked like a kitten, with its size. It was clearly not well-cared for if the scruffed, dull fur was anything to go by, wind-whipped into a frizzy mess. Its ribs were pretty pronounced beneath its hide, each showing as it puffed its chest in and out rapidly. The cat must have had plenty of foodless nights. 

It was bleeding steadily from both a large tear on its cheek, probably going down to bone, and a deep gash on its right shoulder blade as if something took a deep bite into the spot and ripped a whole strip of flesh and muscle out. The cat was huffing in pain as it laid there with closed eyes, maybe passed out. Shiro could see a trail of blood behind it where it had walked along, splattered into the grass thickly. Some fur was missing from its tail, as if it had gotten pulled by something clamped onto it. 

Shiro sniffed the cat. The feline didn't move, but it did make a tiny mewling noise again like it did before, this time tampering off into a weak cry. The cat was shaking slightly, mouth open enough that blood from its cheek slid down past its lips. At first, the black cat tried to lick the blood back out with its pink little tongue, but soon gave up with silent yowl.

"Hey, buddy," Shiro brushed his muzzle along the ground, smelling another dog on the cat, "I'm going to get you back to my owner so he can patch you up."

The cat didn't say anything, only whimpered softly as its front paw twitched. Shiro carefully began to pick the cat up by the scruff, but must have grabbed the wrong place because the feline sprang to life, a mighty hiss on its lips. Before Shiro could move back, the cat slashed at his muzzle, cutting a deep wound into his flesh. 

Shiro yelped as shocked surprise rang through his body. Ouch. Pawing at his nose, he gazed up at the cat from under watering eyes. Said cat limped backwards, tripping over a small twig by its foot. Crashing to the ground on its bad side, it let out a pain-filled scream. Thrashing around, it panicked as it tried to get up to its feet. Somehow, it was successful for a moment, shaking like a leaf, glaring at him with its strange dark bluish eyes. The cat was wheezing badly, likely in pain. Every two seconds, it tried to growl but cut off with a whine. 

"St-stay a-away fr-om m-me!" The cat hissed with a raspy voice, one likely caused by all its past screeching, "I don-on't ne-need your he-lp!"

The cat tried lashing out again, but used the wrong foot. A choked yowl filled the air before the cat slumped to the dirt, spent and in agony, blood gushing from dirt-clogged wounds. Uncaring if the cat scratched him, he grabbed up the feline before dashing away into the sand. Crossing the river, he ran on and on, wincing and whining every time the smaller cried out.

Running into the yard, Shiro ignored his friends, darting for the clinic door. A doggy door was stashed on the main door, so Shiro leapt through it, glad Coran had adjusted it to fit him. He was probably the biggest dog on the property, larger than a normal lab. Rushing into the room, he barreled past the main lobby area, heading for the infirmary where Coran often spend time caring for the animals in the sanctuary. 

“Why, yes! Alfor! That’s a good plan!” The ecstatic owner shouted as Shiro caught a glimpse of him petting a white cat, Allura’s dad. The feline seemed to be one of Coran’s most favorite companions on the place, “I’m sure Voltron could use that. Why, we do need to branch out. I hear bombays are a good pick an-”

“Coran!” Shiro barked, placing the mostly unconscious cat on the table before the human, “I need help. Found him hurt on the southern border.”

“Oh, quiznak,” the man cursed softly before grabbing some supplies, “The boy sure did get himself in a jam, didn’t he? I’ll fix him right up quicker than you can say snarpel snaple!”

So the cat was a male. Shiro had been too busy to notice it. Now that he looked, he could see and smell it under all the grime and dirt caked onto him. The cat was clearly a guy cat. Shiro wondered how long the other had been on his own to be this skinny. It looked like awhile. The human quickly came back with some smelly disinfectant and bandages. 

“Alright, this will hurt,” he carefully dabbed it on the cat’s wounds, getting a tiny meow of pain as the feline twitched in his unnatural sleep, “And clean this...patch up this...Oh, my boy, what happened to you?”

“What’s wrong?” Shiro demanded, not even hiding his fear.

“He is one badly injured feline,” Coran tsked as he grabbed a small bottle from the special cabinet in the corner of the room, one that he rarely ever had to use, “Whatever grabbed him dug deep into his cheek. I'm assuming some muscles have gotten damaged, but I can't tell how badly. If I can get the bleeding under control…"

"Use the red ones," Alfor stared at them, tilting his head towards the black cat lying on the table, "It'll stop the bleeding faster."

"I almost forgot!" Coran cried out before applying a thick layer of scarlet bandages to both wounds. He held it there, and the cat never even moved. Minutes passed as Shiro wagged his tail worriedly, watching the human the whole time. If anyone could patch up the injured cat, it was Coran. After all, he had helped Shiro's leg heal after the accident. The stump had been infected, but the human had made him feel better until it healed all the way. 

"Oh my…" Coran's expression sobered quickly as he gently pulled the blood-stained cloth away. Shiro felt himself grow cold at the small waver in his voice, "I don't have the right knowledge for this type of wound. I need to take him to a friend. They'll help him."

Shiro was about ready to ask what had Coran so worried when he got a glimpse of the much smaller feline. A loud whine left his throat as he stared. The bone of his cheek was visible, muscles torn from it. It was already affecting the cat whose face was slowly swelling. Even unconscious, the right eye didn't quite match up to the left, a little too slanted. Shiro knew something was very wrong. 

"I'll get him the best medical attention," Coran stated as if he could directly read the lab's thoughts, "Alfor, I'll be back soon."

"Go," the cat nodded as he gently placed his paw on the human's hand, "The young one needs you. I'll be here when you return. I should see to Melenor and Allura as it is. Bring him back in better shape, old friend."

"That I shall," Coran said cheerfully before grabbing the cat up carefully, "I think we may just get that bombay cat I was talking about earlier. Shiro, you're in charge. Alfor can help you if you need it."

And then he rushed from the room all while juggling his phone on his shoulder, already calling someone up. A gruff voice answered the phone on the second ring, but Shiro couldn't make out what he said as Coran slipped out the door.

…..

It took Coran a whole twelve hours to come back. When he walked in, Shiro was there to greet him, along with a small tag along known as Pidge who sat on his back. The cat was bundled up in a blanket to stop him from moving too much. Thick bandages were on his shoulder and face, likely with a special poultice if Shiro understood anything about the rich scent he smelt on the feline. The cat was awake, left eye open, but he didn't seem aware of his surroundings as he stared tiredly forward. 

"Is he…" Pidge shuffled on Shiro's back, claws gently clinging to his curly salt and pepper fur, "Is he okay?"

"He will be," Coran answered as he started for the very last room in the clinic, "He's going to have to stay in the intensive care unit for at least a week, to make sure he's healing alright. One of my friends who helped him, Ulaz, seems to think he may not get function back in his arm like normal, and we aren't quite sure how much the facial wound will bother him. The poor boy's already showing signs of facial paralysis. Had to give him eighteen stitches on his shoulder."

When they got into the special care unit, Coran gently placed the cat down on the special bed, one that dipped down into the floor so he couldn’t fall off and hurt himself more if he tried to turn. The cat mewled weakly as he was set down, the one visible eye staring at them with deep mistrust before it closed. The cat fell asleep as Coran made sure everything was okay.

“The people I took him to specialize in Ojos Azules cats,” the human spoke after a moment as he brushed his thumb along the cat’s black fur, careful not to touch the bandages, “I’m guessing the boy is part that and part bombay. We’ll just have to see how he recovers.”

“I’m going to stay here,” Shiro spoke as he settled down near the cat’s bed, folding his legs underneath of himself, “He should have someone here when he wakes.”

“Good idea, Number One!” The man shouted before he quieted down, “I will be back soon, but it will be a great idea to keep an eye on him. Just call me if you notice anything wrong.”

…..

Over the next week, Shiro stayed at that spot. Most of his time was spent watching the cat who was slowly recovering. At the end of the week, Coran looked him over, saying that he could leave the intensive care unit if they kept an eye on him. Shiro agreed steadily as he waited for the feline to wake up.

It was mid-day when the fierce cat woke. Shiro patiently laid there as the cat woke slowly. The other had a bit of trouble waking up, and when he did, he seemed to notice that he was injured. But that didn’t seem to deter him as he climbed over the edge of the bed. The cat shook his head when he got to the top, stumbling backwards in his dizziness. Shiro quickly dove forward so the feline landed on his nose, chest on his muzzle. Lifting the other up, he carefully placed him onto the floor, avoiding the sharp claws that swatted at him. 

“Leave me alone,” the cat growled as he arched, putting too much effort into the act, “I need to go.”

“Not until your wounds heal, at least,” Shiro insisted as he sniffed the other over. The feline still stank of medicines and injuries, cloaked with an unhealthy stench of something Shiro couldn’t place. The bandage was still on his cheek, but the one on his shoulder was gone. The stitches had only three or so days left to heal before they’d come out, “If you want to leave after that, I...I won’t stop you.”

The cat glared.

“So...I can show you to the cat shed,” Shiro spoke as he started for the door. For a moment, he was sure that the feline wouldn’t follow, but a few seconds later, the younger padded up to his side, slow and shaky but nowhere as bad as before. The cat sent him an unsure look, but hissed when he noticed that Shiro was watching.

“What?” He growled as he unsheathed his claws. Shiro only snorted before shaking his head.

“Nothing,” he stated as he led the cat out of the care unit. The lobby had no one in it as they marched on, going for the large dog door, “So what’s your name?”

“My name?”

“Yeah,” Shiro nodded his head as he held the door up for the cat to slide by before going out himself, “Something that others call you by. My name’s Shiro.”

“I…” The cat stared at him, both eyes unsure, “I...don’t have one.”

“What?” Shiro tilted his head before continuing to walk, “Why not?”

“I…” The younger stared at him for a long moment, “I never got one. No one’s ever given me a name.”

“What? No one?” Shiro whined as they strolled by the dog shed. Lance greeted them with a bark before he realized that they were currently doing something. The brown collie backed off, going to lay back down on his bed. Shiro turned his attention back to the cat who was staring with narrowed eyes at said dog, ready for an attack at any time, tense as could be, “Didn’t your owner name you?”

“Never really had one,” the cat grunted back as he stumbled forward, catching himself before he could trip over a branch, “A lot of owners...uhhh...didn’t want me. Black cat and all.”

“Well,” Shiro huffed in anger at the previous owners asshole attitudes. Black cats were not bad luck, but many got treated that way. Calming himself, he took a deep breath in before gazing at the cat, “We can decide a name now.”

“What?” The cat stared at him with wide eyes, the right not getting as open as the left, “I...why...why would you help me? You don’t know me…”

“But I know no one should be alone,” Shiro reasoned, speaking from past experience, “And we all can use a paw sometimes...or a hand for that matter. The human I brought you to, he’s the best I know. He helped me heal after...after my owner died in an accident.”

“Oh,” he tilted his head, “Is that why…”

“I’m missing a leg,” Shiro nodded as they walked on, passed the bird house. From here, Shiro could see all the Holts sitting with each other, all greens and browns, “Coran helped when it was infected. I couldn’t have made it if he hadn’t taken me in.”

“So...names?”

“How about…Mitten?”

He snarled at the name, glaring at Shiro as the lab smiled apologetically.

“Whiskers?”

The cat hissed as his back arched again. Shiro whined softly...maybe he wasn’t the best to pick names like this...

“Kitty?”

“What kind of name is that?” The other spat as he swatted at Shiro who ducked to the side, “I’m a cat. Should I be calling you Doggy?”

“Hmmmm...Good point, I’m sorry,” Shiro frowned as they got to the cat house. It was a small shed with cat perches everywhere, some up high and others on the ground like inside the dog shed. Various scratching posts laid around with other miscellaneous toys thrown about. There were quite a bit of cats inside, all pretty much sleeping. Shiro didn’t see Allura nearby, so she had to have been on one of the highest platforms...probably the white one called the Castle of Lions. It fit the regal cat, “How about...Keith?”

The cat tilted his head again before blinking.

“I don’t…” He paused before nodding, “I don’t hate the name. Sounds natural.”

“Then we’ll call you Keith,” Shiro smiled happily as he sat down, “So this is where you can sleep tonight. There's some empty spaces to use."

Keith gazed at the sleeping pads, not looking amused at all. The younger walked over to the nearest tower, sniffing at it before sneezing, huffing as he stepped into one of the tiny perches. Shiro watched, tail wagging as the feline disappeared from his sight. A full minute passed before Shiro began to turn to leave. A small noise caught him by surprise as Keith strolled up to the dog's side.

"Do I have to sleep in there?" Keith asked as he glanced back, "It's too...fancy. I've always slept in the grass."

"You can share my bed," Shiro smiled softly as he started for the dog shed, "It's comfy but worn. And no, you don't have to sleep there. It's just a general area to go to get food and stuff."

Keith just huffed before following Shiro back. Shiro walked around all the dogs sleeping on their cots. He could see James in the corner, sleeping with his legs under him. Lance’s sister, Veronica, laid closer to the middle, by her brother. Iverson rested off closer to Shiro’s grey dog matt. There were others in there that Shiro’s mind was too tired to even notice as he glanced over at Keith. The cat was tense like he was waiting for one of them to jump up and thrash him. It was understandable since he must have gotten hurt by a dog. Shiro just walked on without saying anything. Plopping down on his bed, he waited for Keith to come near. The feline glanced around before sniffing the bed. His tail lashed around before he stuck his paw to the material. 

“It’s okay,” Shiro reassured him as the cat’s eyes snapped up to him, “No one here will hurt you. I’ll make sure of it.”

“What?” Keith blinked before he moved a tail’s length closer, “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I’m not giving up on you,” Shiro responded back with a loud yawn, resting out on his side all the way, “And you shouldn’t give up on yourself.”

“I…” Keith gazed down at the spot by Shiro’s belly. Shiro just moved his paw to motion Keith forward. The ebony cat stood there for a long moment before walking closer. Shiro closed his eyes, starting to fall asleep when the ball of warm fur pressed to his stomach. The older opened his eyes to see Keith curled up to the white furs on Shiro’s chest. Without thinking about it, the lab quickly pressed a lick over the cat’s head before quickly falling asleep himself.

…..

A screech woke him up.

Shiro bolted upright at the sound, tense and ready to attack. Memories of the accident crashed back into his mind as he tried to breathe. There was the wicked sound of tires screeching and the smell of burning rubber. A sound of his owner’s cry echoed through his ears followed by a loud bar-

Shiro blinked as he came out of the flashback. 

Glancing around, he saw that Keith was standing just feet in front of him, back and fur fluffed up in agitation. The much smaller cat was growling and hissing as some of the others crowded around him. From what he could see, James was laying on the ground, lip bleeding from the shallow scratch that the feline had given him. 

“What’s going on?”

“This cat attacked me!” James scowled as he licked at the small wound, “What is he doing in here anyway?”

Keith glanced back at him with narrowed eyes. But Shiro could see the sadness underneath those eyes. Did he think Shiro lied to him? The lab strolled over to Keith’s side before sitting down, surprising all in the room.

“He’s just a little nervous around dogs,” Shiro explained as he gazed from the feline back to the others, “This is Keith.”

“He...smells weird,” another stated as she sniffed at the cat who growled at her, “Okay, okay, okay! I won’t say anything else! Geez...He’s more growly than Iverson.”

“What’s with the cat, Shiro?” Said bulldog asked as he stared at Shiro with his one good eye narrowed, “He’s the one who gave you your new scar, I’m assuming? And he’s attacking the dogs. What does he have to say about that?”

Keith didn’t say anything, only glared up at the dogs. A moment passed before his ears twisted back, but he had yet to say anything. Shiro didn’t like the defeated air he had to him. Wasn’t he going to stand up for himself? Did he not see any point in doing so?

“He’s probably scared,” Shiro spoke up as dark blue eyes watched him warily, “I’d be too if someone was right in my face when I woke up. As it is, I told him he could be in here.”

“If you’re sure,” Iverson stared at him with a hard gaze. Shiro didn’t break his own stare so the bulldog rolled his eye before stepping back, “Move along. Nothing to see here.”

The dogs scattered, going to their food dishes. Keith glanced up at him, eyes narrowed.

“You should just take me back,” he muttered under his breath as he gazed away from Shiro, “I can leave, and you guys will be back to normal. I...I don’t belong here.”

“Hey,” Shiro pressed his nose to the cat’s unhurt shoulder, “Don’t say that. You do belong here, Keith. Just give it some time…”

Keith didn’t seem convinced.

“I’ll miss you if you go,” Shiro continued which got a shocked look from the feline before his eyes narrowed, “I’ve known you for a week, but you’re not a bad cat. I...like you already.”

Keith blinked before huffing. Before he could think, he felt a rough tongue brush over his nose, right where the scar was. When he looked at Keith, the smaller was looking back with large eyes.

“Sorry about the scar,” he stated as he stared at it, “Didn’t mean to…”

“I know,” Shiro barked softly back as he wagged his tail. Before either could say anything else, a cheerful shout brought them both out of their stare. Shiro looked over to see Coran marching forward, a large grin on his face and some stuff in his hands.

“Why it’s good to see you up, Number Four!” The man stopped in front of them. Keith hissed softly before he calmed down, sniffing the air as his stomach growled. Coran laughed out loud, “It seems that someone is hungry! Let’s get that bandage off of you, my boy, and then you can eat!”

Keith hesitated for a moment before he moved closer to the man. The human bent down to one knee, carefully pulling away the bandage on the feline’s face. Shiro noticed that it looked a lot better than it had before. It was an actual scar now, some spots still healing. Coran smothered some yellow medicine on it, which Keith scowled at, sticking out his tongue to lick it away but quitting when he actually tasted it.

“Looks like the bandages can stay off,” the man grinned widely as he held out a container filled with soft food, “But we’ll have to make sure to keep putting that salve on. And here is the foo-”

Keith was already munching down on it, already halfway done with it by the time the human even got to his second sentence. Another minute passed before Keith finished the soft food, glancing up at the human.

"You were hungry. That's a good sign," the man grinned as he gently ruffled the cat's fur, "I'll be out a few more times to make sure you get more meals...about six per day."

Keith's eyes widened in disbelief before he squeaked out the weirdest noise Shiro ever heard from a feline.

"You really need the food," Coran spoke as he picked up the dish, dropping something else in its place. Keith sniffed at it before giving it a lick, "And snacks are in order. I think you'll like that one."

"It's…" Keith took a tiny bite from the thing, "Not bad…"

"Good!" Coran cried out with joy in his voice before he nodded, "I'll be over at my usual spot. Shiro knows where to find me if you need me."

And then the man dashed away, disappearing completely from sight. Keith licked the treat one more time before glancing up at the lab, tilting his head. 

"Coran's always like that," Shiro explained as he started for his own dish, "Don't worry about it. He's a really good guy."

Keith huffed softly before he picked up the treat in his mouth. Shiro almost laughed at the sight as the feline tried to navigate with the thing which was almost as big as his head. Shiro felt bad for the other when the food began slipping out of the corner of his mouth, on the injured side. Keith clearly couldn't control the muscles on his lip as some saliva slid onto the ground by his feet. Said cat glared at him.

"I'm getting my own food," Shiro marched up to his bowl, squeezing between two other dogs who were eating and drinking too. Taking a bite of his crunchy food, he paused when he felt something on his back. Turning his head, he watched as Keith settled down on his shoulder blades, tucking his snack between his paws before licking it. Shiro snickered quietly as he returned to his dish. He was fine with Keith being up there.

…..

Time went by, weeks turned into months. Keith grew over that time, going from kitten size to actual cat size. He was a bit small for a male, but Shiro guessed that maybe he'd always be that way. The feline hung around Shiro most often, snuggling with him in his cot and having his meals with him. Slowly, he was becoming less wary of others, willing to go out and interact with them. Pidge had a million questions for him, which he didn't really answer. Hunk wanted to make sure he had friends other than just Shiro. Romelle and he got along really well to the point that if he wasn't with Shiro, he was with the honey-blonde rabbit. He obviously held a certain respect for Allura which Shiro was happy about. Lance, more often than not, teased Keith enough that they got into fights, but Shiro had no worries about the two as they were playful fights...mostly. 

Things were going well.

So it was a surprise one day when Coran came to him, asking if he could speak to him alone. Keith had seemed skeptical at first, not wanting to leave Shiro alone. But the older had insisted that he would be right back. Keith still didn’t move, but soon enough, he huffed before hopping off of Shiro’s back.

Shiro turned his attention to the human as they strolled through the lobby.

“What’s up, Coran?”

“Shiro,” the man was completely serious, which instantly caught Shiro’s attention, “You remember what we talked about almost a year ago?”

“Uh...yeah,” Shiro itched a spot on his side, “Something about getting me a prosthetic?”

“Yes!” Coran’s tone turned a bit happier as he gestured to Shiro’s missing limb, “It turns out that Kolivan can get us some help for your arm. While his group doesn’t specialize in dogs, he knows someone who does. They are willing to attach a prosthetic to your stump. This one is highly advanced and should move as you want it to.”

“I…”

“Oh, no, no,” Coran shushed him as he paused, making Shiro stop too, “No need to tell me right now. The offer is up anytime.”

“Thanks, Coran,” Shiro stared at the floor before gazing back at the human, “I’ll think on it…”

“Okay, that’s all I can ask,” the other reassured him before grinning with a knowing look, “So how is Keith liking his new bed?”

Shiro coughed softly as he blushed. Even though it didn’t show under the fur, Coran seemed to know about it as he laughed.

“He’s liking it okay,” Shiro got out eventually as his tail wagged, betraying him and his joy, “Says it’s soft.”

“Well, it better be soft and warm,” Coran smirked as he laughed even louder, “Considering it’s your fur that is his bed now.”

Shiro just woofed in agreement before he started for the door. Behind him, he could hear Coran chatting about something, probably an old story from his past. Strolling out of there, he wasn’t surprised when he came face-to-face with Keith who sat by the door waiting for him.

“What was that about?” He asked curiously as he licked his paw, brushing it over his head, “What did Coran want?”

“Oh, he just wanted to tell me the good news,” Shiro stepped forward before laying down. Seconds passed before Keith climbed up his back, settling in his usual spot on Shiro’s shoulders, “There’s someone who is willing to get me a prosthetic. We’ve tried before...but none of them have been very successful. I...I don’t know if I want to get one put on again...”

“Well,” Keith bumped his head against the other’s neck, rubbing into the black and white fur, “Do what you feel is best. I don’t want you getting hurt, but if it will help you, why not?”

“Thanks, Keith,” Shiro grinned back up over at the cat who responded back with a lopsided smirk, scar standing out a lot in all the ebony fur, “So how about we go for a swim?”

“Sure,” Keith jumped off before running away, yowling back at him, “Catch me if you can, Old Timer!”

Shiro rushed after him, knowing he’d be too slow but not caring that he was as they rushed through the sand.

…..

In the end, Shiro gets the prosthetic put on. The surgery doesn’t take long, and attaching the arm even less. When they are done, Shiro is drowsy and in some pain, but not as much as the accident or when his leg was infected. It took eighteen stitches to hold the metal in place long enough, and Shiro is sure there is an irony or significance in the number somewhere. As it was, he was too out of it to think. As soon as he stumbled to his matt, he fell onto it, ready to sleep.

Something warm pressed to his chest as a soft rumble echoed in his mind. Something warm lapped at his chin, relaxing him further as he slid into sleep. His paws tightened on something soft as everything turned black.

…..

“Does it hurt?” Keith asked as his sniffed at the metal attached to Shiro’s shoulder, “You were kind of out of it when you came back.”

“I’m okay,” Shiro pressed his nose to Keith’s ear which twitched, “It doesn’t hurt. Just feels different.”

“Okay,” Keith blinked as he leaned into Shiro’s nose, twisting his head enough that it was under Shiro’s nose now. The lab licked a long strip up the ebony fur as Keith let out a happy purr, rubbing his side against the new limb, “Just making sure.”

“I know,” Shiro smiled as he pressed his forehead to the cat’s neck, “How’s your face?”

“Could be better,” Keith responded as he licked his own strip on the cool black metal of his newest limb, “But I’m okay. As long as we’re both okay, right?”

“I’m glad you’re my friend, Keith,” Shiro grinned before moving to settle down, waiting for Keith to sit on his back like always. The feline didn’t disappoint him as he strolled up his back. Before Shiro could get up, the cat plopped onto his neck, resting his head on Shiro’s. Shiro laughed as he rolled his eyes, getting up from the ground, “Especially when you do that.”

“I'm glad you’re my friend,” Keith responded back as Shiro felt the vibrations of his purring through his back, “Thanks for everything, Shiro.”

“Always,” Shiro said back as fondly as he could, feeling happy about the weight on his neck. He knew they’d both be okay here, always having each other to lean on. With a content huff, he took off for the river where they had met a while ago. Swimming sounded good right now.


End file.
